Dovhan V. Legal status of the European Parliament in the institutional system of the European Union.

The dissertation is devoted to the research of the legal status of the European Parliament in the institutional system of the European Union. The first chapter deals with the characteristics of the European Parliament in the EU system of organs and institutions from the beginning of the European Integration with the Treaty of Rome and its perspectives under Treaty of Nice and Draft Constitution for Europe. In the study the European Parliament is compared both with the institutions of inter-parliamentary cooperation such as Inter-parliamentary CIS Assembly and Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and legislative body of the state. It is emphasized that general direct elections to the European Parliament have changed the nature of the EU from intergovernmental to supranational and have great impact on the decision-making process in the Communities. The second chapter deals with the competences of the European Parliament in the EC decision-making process and pays great attention to the development the Parliament's powers. Author defines the following functions of the European Parliament such as legislative, budgetary and control and analyzes the legal mechanisms of the implementation the above-mentioned parliamentary functions. The role of the European Parliament in the decision-making process procedures is examined through the consultative, cooperation, co-decision and assent procedures. The third chapter deals with the competences of the European Parliament in the sphere of EU foreign policy. In the study are considered powers of the European Parliament to ratify international agreements and establish the inter-parliamentary delegations to cooperate with the third countries. It shall be stressed that the European Parliament plays a very important role in the enlargement process of the European Union. Author analyzes the inter-parliamentary cooperation between Ukraine and the EU, and notes the establishment of Parliamentary Committee on relations with Ukraine after the joining to the EU 10 newmember states in 2004. In conclusions the results of the dissertation which characterize legal status of the European Parliament in the EU institutional system are generalized.